By C1 Staff
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Department of Corrections officials have named contraband cell phones as the biggest threat behind bars.
Cell phones can be used to plot escapes, threaten innocent people and even plan murders, according to WNCN.
In 2005, only about 30 phones were confiscated in prisons across the state, but by 2012, the number had jumped up to over 850.
The main way most cell phones are smuggled into facilities is by simply throwing a phone over an exterior perimeter wall. This makes it necessary for daily searches of the perimeter and for officers to keep their eyes peeled.
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Some facilities have dealt with this issue by creating another fence outside of the perimeter fence, which causes the contraband to be thrown into a controlled environment.
Another safety measure is metal detectors that pick out specific materials inside cell phones and alert security if a visitor is trying to bring a phone inside.
The DOC is also considering purchasing cell phone jammers, but current laws make the jammers illegal and setting up a cell tower monitoring system would cost millions to install and maintain.
Still, DOC Deputy Director Kenneth Lassiter believes cell phone control technology could be installed in the next five years if the prison system could get the funding it needs.